The Miracle of Night Terrors
by xxXTheySayI'mEvilXxx
Summary: Nightmares were not uncommon for Snake, he did have quite a haunting past. Though, sometimes human contact is much better then his scaly friends. Surprisingly, Dagger is actually pretty decent at these things.


_Freak freak freak._

 _Everyone was pointing, pointing at him._

 _Beatings. Not good enough. Not good enough._

 _Laughing, laughing at him, stuck in his little cage._

 _Snakes that barely wanted to talk to him._

 _Saw him as human, a despicable creature._

 _"Look at the freak!"_

 _"Mommy I'm scared!"_

 _"He's scary! Why is he looking at me?!"_

 _"Haha, no wonder you got snakes as friends, no one else cares!"_

 _Doll, Joker, Beast, Jumbo, Wendy and Peter, Dagger, they were there! Finally!_

 _"Look at the monster."_

 _What? The words were clear as day, coming straight from Dagger's mouth._

 _Joker stared at him. "We don't need a freak like you."_

 _They left. THEY LEFT HIM HERE!_

 _Screams broke through, sobs, not a visitor. He reached out, pleading, please help me. His arm extended towards them, screaming for them to come back, make him their family like it should be._

 _They walked by, no passing him a second glance._

Snake woke up nearly vomiting, sweat trickling down his skin.

 _Snake?_ Emily stirred, moving up the bed to nuzzle him comfortingly. The milksnake seemed worried, resting in the crook of his neck.

Brontë stirred as well, asking if he was okay before she woke the others.

"It's just a night terror, I'm fine," Snake insisted. Brontë didn't buy it, the coral snake nudging Wilde and Keats awake. She lets the others sleep. Gothe was mostly relaxed, but Wordsworth turned into an old Grandpa when it came to sleep and Webster was never safe to wake. Oscar became like a emo teen, shouting curses he learned from humans and demanding sleep, sometimes finding a way to destroy something.

Donne slithered to his respective place on Snake's ear, the only place where the teen could hear his tiny choir boy voice that the others teased as a squeaking mouse. _You don't seem fine,_ he pointed out.

Snake could still see the dream behind his eyes. God it felt so real.

Keats settled in his hair, nuzzling it comfortingly and flicking his tongue to give snake-sized kisses to his half-human friend, brother almost. _You had a nightmare, didn't you?_

Snake shivered, at that was all they needed. _Go see Dagger,_ Wilde suggested. _We're not all that good with human things._

Dagger was the closest tent to his. Doll couldn't sleep alone so she disguised as a second-string, Jumbo wasn't great at comfort, Joker and Beast were just too far away, and Wendy and Peter... he was actually scared to walk in their tent at night. Snake froze. "You know I could never do that!" He hissed, face turning red.

 _I'll go with you_ , Emily offered. Donne agreed with her. Brontë opened her mouth before Emily swiveled to glare. _Last time you got too close, Dagger nearly had a heart attack. I'm sorry, but you are venomous and he doesn't do very well. Wilde, you should also stay, no offense._

 _None taken_ , the boa constrictor replied.

Keats settled back down. _Well, I'm going back to sleep. Don't wake me unless Snake's kidnapped or someone's tent is on fire. I'll get a mouse and watch the action._

Snake reluctantly got up and placed on a cloak, and shoes because he knew Dagger wouldn't let him in the tent if he wasn't wearing shoes, picking up Emily as she curled around his neck. The teen slowly moved outside and shivered as the cool air. Emily and Donne absorbed his body heat. It was summer, but a particularly chilly night.

When he reached Dagger's tent, every muscle froze. Emily nudged him further.

Snake hesitantly knocked on the wooden pole that held up the tent. "Dagger?" He asked, raising his voice quietly.

The flap opened as Dagger looked at him blearily. He was hardly recognizable without his performance outfit and makeup. "Whatcha want?"

Snake's hands trembled. " _Snake had a nightmare and wondered if you would keep him company._ Emily stop embarrassing me," he directed, running a finger across the snake's head.

"Night terrors, aye? Just had ta say that y'know," he glanced at Emily. "That's that's not the poisonous one, right?"

" _Snakes are venomous, not poisonous, unless you eat them. Brontë and Emily look quite alike, but Emily is as harmless as a fly_ , now I wouldn't say that Donne." Dagger noticed the tiny snake on Snake's ear, suddenly checking for any other snakes.

 _Look, he is checking you out, that must be a good sign,_ Emily said. Snake tried to not blush.

"Well, c'mon then, don't stand out there in the cold." Dagger grabbed Snake's wrist and practically yanked him in. Snake sat on a crate that probably held his performance clothes. "So, do you want to talk about it or not?"

Snake breathed, before Emily hissed. He opened his mouth to translate before Dagger held out a hand. "I won't pressure you, but it would be nice to just hear you y'know."

Snake fiddled with his hands. "I was… back there," he said bitterly. "They had me locked up and everyone was pointing fingers and calling me a freak. Some kids even were crying, they were scared of me. Then… you and the others came, but, but," he choked on a sob, not used to showing this much emotion.

The blond was at his side immediately, rubbing his back. "Hey, hey it's okay… shh…"

"You called me a monster, and Joker said he didn't want a freak like me. You left me. I was trapped in that cage and put on display and you just left me there."

Dagger inhaled quietly. His past was nothing like Snake's. Sure he was orphaned but he had family. Snake was alone, put on display like a thing, half the snakes in his cage hated him, and from the bits and pieces he gathered from the first days, Snake's owner (like he was a _dog_ ) would be him and sometimes do things not worth mentioning if they didn't get enough money. For years it was like that. For eight years.

"Hey, look, your safe now, okay? And nobody makes you do anything, except eat and sleep," he chuckled, remembering how Jumbo practically force-fed Snake one time. "You don't have to perform, you choose to show off your talent, and nobody owns you, okay? We're here for ya Snake." Dagger got up and sat on his bed, patting it. "C'mon, I don't know how you sleep with a boa constrictor and two p-venomous snakes," he corrected himself.

Snake blinked, soundless as his face slowly turned red. He shucked off his boots and cloak, unwinding Emily from around his neck as she curled up underneath his cloak, doing the same for Donne. "There aren't any others, right? You got a hundred of 'em."

"Nine," Snake corrected quietly, slipping under the covers. Dagger shrugged, taking off his prosthetic leg before going under the covers as well.

It wasn't a huge bed, but not tiny. Though, there was a small discomfort between the two. Dagger scooted closer, his hand suddenly interlocked in Snake's hair, the other intertwining with the scaled-boy's. Snake blushed lightly again, noticing how Dagger wasn't even paying attention.

God, if only this could last forever.

But yet, Snake knew Dagger was smitten for Beast, not him. It would take a miracle for Dagger to ever return his feelings.

Snake cuddled closer to Dagger, soaking up the love, even if it was merely platonic, from the other. One day, he thought, maybe Dagger will see that going after Beast is useless.

For now, he was content with the boy sleeping next to him, hand in his own.

He never slept better.


End file.
